The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

To take advantage of NYC's inclusionary zoning giveaways, developer Extell is including 55 'affordable' units in a luxury condo building planned for Manhattan. Just one hitch: the plan segregates those tenants in their own 'separate entity'.

August 20 - The Village Voice

You know this could only happen in California: An appellate court has ruled that the California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to ... the California Environmental Quality Act. At least in this case.

August 20 - California Planning & Development Report

Mexico, the world's 9th largest oil producer and first to nationalize its oil production, has seen steep production declines as the state-owned oil company lacks capital resources and expertise. Constitutional reforms would entice private investment.

August 20 - The New York Times - Global Business

Those well intentioned urban beekeepers trying to prevent colony collapse and contribute to local food movements may actually be doing more harm than good say researchers from the University of Sussex.

August 20 - NPR

Through determined investment, L.A. is on track to generate a third of its power from renewables by 2020. Varun Sivaram, formerly Mayor Villaraigosa's senior advisor on energy and water policy, explains how the city must modernize its power system.

August 20 - The Planning Report

With growth ten years ahead of estimates, Boston's Innovation District is in need of some fresh ideas to help stave of death by traffic asphyxiation. Local roads and mass transit are already stretched to capacity during the evening commute.

August 20 - The Boston Globe

"If all the food produced in the UK in a year were stored and eaten from January 1, the 'cupboard' would be bare by August 14" suggests the National Farmers Union. Advocates urge the government to help farmers produce more of the country's food.

August 20 - The Telegraph U.K.

A preview of the next major United Nations climate change report is taking a stronger stance on the role of humans in causing global warming and predicting a possible sea level rise that would endanger cities such as London, New York, and Shanghai.

August 20 - The New York Times

Keeping public spaces active and attractive during the winter months is a common challenges in cold weather climates. Pittsburgh is seeking ideas from artists to help enliven downtown's Market Square during the depths of winter.

August 19 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A task force created by the White House in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has published its 69-point strategy for communities to better withstand and recover from extreme weather events.

August 19 - Next City

Perhaps it's not surprising to learn that HOT lane usage increases when prices increase. Higher prices, after all, signal congestion up ahead. What is surprising is the amount drivers are willing to pay to shave mere minutes off their commute.

August 19 - The Atlantic Cities

BLOG POST

As college becomes less affordable, alternatives to the traditional four-year model have been making inroads, leading some to question its lasting viability. If universities struggle, it will impact not only campuses, but cities, as well.

August 19 - Mark Hough

Anyone living in New York, or paying attention to baseball, knows how one failed splashy signing can sink a team's competitiveness. Rather than trying to win with home runs, local governments should be playing small ball, argues Charles Marohn.

August 19 - Strong Towns

Those investing in the largely Latino enclave of Boyle Heights prefer to use the term "gentefication" - a play on the Spanish word for people - rather than the pejorative gentrification, to describe their efforts to improve the L.A. neighborhood.

August 19 - The New York Times

Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has the knives out for a new hotel built in Center City, calling it the 'worst new architecture' in the city. Worse yet, we all helped pay for such awful design.

August 19 - philly.com

Unlike prior litigation based on environmental grounds, this suit, brought by a farmer, homeowner and the Kings County Board of Supervisors, is based on the rail project's business plan violating the bond measure the voters approved to fund it.

August 19 - Sacramento Bee

As the culmination of the Big Dig project that sunk Boston's elevated Central Artery, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway was envisioned as one of the world's premier parks. Though plans have been curtailed, the park has become a beloved space.

August 19 - The Boston Globe

From the panhandle to the Gulf coast, cities across traditionally car-crazed Texas are building bike-share systems and expanding bike infrastructure to lure businesses, residents, and improve public health.

August 19 - The Texas Tribune

This interactive feature from the New York Times employs animation and photographs of the city over time to explore the places where the outgoing Mayor has left the biggest impression.

August 19 - The New York Times

In this opinion piece on how to pay for roads, Noel Popwell gives 5 reasons for switching from gas tax to vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee revenue collection - even if the Highway Trust Fund wasn't facing insolvency next year. Obama is opposed to it.

August 18 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill